Stoughton police officer convicted in corruption trial

Monday

Jul 30, 2007 at 12:01 AMJul 30, 2007 at 12:17 AM

A Norfolk Superior Court jury today returned guilty verdicts in four of 10 charges against Stoughton police Sgt. David M. Cohen, and cleared his co-defendent, officer Robert E. Letendre, in a corruption case that reshaped the Police Department.

By Allan Stein

A Norfolk Superior Court jury today returned guilty verdicts in four of 10 charges against Stoughton police Sgt. David M. Cohen, and cleared his co-defendent, officer Robert E. Letendre, in a corruption case that reshaped the Police Department.

Cohen was convicted of two counts of intimidation of a witness and single counts of use of force and filing a false report. Sentencing is set for Aug. 27. The jury acquitted Cohen of the other six charges that included kidnapping, extortion, assault and battery, and abuse of police authority.

The jury found Letendre not guilty of failing a false written report and being an accessory after the fact to a kidnapping.

The jury deliberated since last Tuesday after a five-week trial.

In a related case, the trial of former police chief Manuel J. Cachopa, facing similar charges, is set to begin Oct. 29.

The jury began its deliberations July 24 in Norfolk Superior Court after hearing five weeks of testimony from about 25 witnesses in the trial.

Cohen, who was blank-faced as the verdict was read, was alleged to have used his authority as a police officer to help collect a $1,025 security deposit on a used car for the girlfriend of a client of Robert Schneiders, a lawyer and Canton police officer. He also allegedly unlawfully arrested and manhandled salesman Jerard Viverito at Stoughton Motor Mart on Jan. 20, 2000.

Letendre was one of three arresting officers.

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